Lycopodium chrysocaulos Hooker & Greville, Bot. Misc. 2: 401. 1831; Lycopodioides chrysocaulos (Hooker & Greville) H. S. Kung; Selaginella hypnoides Spring; S. philippina Spring var. khasiensis Baker; S. rosenstockii Hieronymus.

Plants terrestrial or epilithic, evergreen or seasonally green, erect, (5-)10-15(-25) cm, with stolons at base, with elongate tuber at base of stem, covered by colorless scalelike leaves. Rhizophores restricted to base of stem or borne in lower part. Main stems branched from near base or from lower part upward, pinnately branched, stramineous, unbranched main stem 1-2(-5) cm tall, 0.5-1 mm in diam. in lower part, terete or subquadrangular; primary leafy branches 6-12 pairs, forked or once or twice pinnately branched, branchlets sparse, adjacent primary branches on main stem 1-3 cm apart, leafy portion of main stem including leaves 3-5.5 mm wide at middle, ultimate branches 3-4 mm wide including leaves. Axillary leaves on branches asymmetrical, narrowly ovate or narrowly elliptic, 2-3 × 1-1.4 mm, base exauriculate, margin ciliolate (at base). Dorsal leaves asymmetrical, those on main stems not obviously larger than those on branches; dorsal leaves on branches not approximate, as widely separated as width of leaf, narrowly ovate, 0.6-1 × 0.3-0.5 mm, carinate or not carinate, base subcordate or obliquely cordate, margin denticulate or ciliolate at base, apex acuminate or aristate. Ventral leaves asymmetrical, those on main stem not obviously larger than those on branches; ventral leaves on branches slightly ascending or spreading, ovate-lanceolate, 1.4-2 × 0.8-1.4 mm, apex acute; acroscopic base not enlarged, not overlapping stem and branches, margin sparsely minutely denticulate or ciliolate at base. Strobili solitary, terminal, compact, dorsiventrally complanate, 3-5 × 1-1.5 mm; sporophylls unlike sterile leaves, slightly or strongly dimorphic, resupinate, not white-margined; dorsal sporophylls with sporophyll-pteryx incomplete and ciliolate; ventral sporophylls ovate, margin denticulate; megasporophylls in basal portion on lower side of strobilus; microsporangia orbicular, microspores orange-red, megaspores yellowish orange or brown.

Selaginella chrysocaulos is closely related to S. labordei but differs in the typical underground tuber and the leaves not white-margined and not very ciliolate.

On damp shaded banks in evergreen and deciduous forests, in grass under shrubs, forming mats; (1400-)1800-2500(-3100) m. Guizhou, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan [Bhutan, India, Kashmir, Malaysia (Peninsular), Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam].